Can anyone point me in the right direction to find some affordable/flexible insurance for a kite/windsurf school with just 1 instructor (IKO & AYF but IKO needs updating apparently?). Seasonal or monthly blocks of insurance could be the way to go?. Is there separate(cheaper) insurance for land based(trainer kite) learning?. Does it make any difference if the training is part of a package deal to purchase gear?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Merry Xoffs to you all btw.
Hi Andos,
The best policy seems to be one from Altiora. They do not deal with the public so you need to go through Alan Wilson Insurance Brokers in Melbourne. Call Alison on (03) 5177 5500. Tell her you spoke to me (of sorts).
No one will offer you "blocks" of or "seasonal" insurance. Every policy is worked out on the numbers you do and also the setup and conditions of your business. You will need council permission otherwise you'll be trading in contravention to the law thus voiding any insurance policy to begin with.
You can get cheaper land based insurance through the AKA (Australian Kiting Association aka.org.au/ ) but if you are teaching kitesurfing, I think you'll be walking a very fine line between being covered and not in the event of an accident. From memory CGU have a kite training policy, but it doesn't cover kitesurfing. Make a call to find out, last time I did the runaround their policy wasn't appropriate for what we do.
You can also contact IKO as they have Professional Indemnity insurance for kite instructors for around $140 USD, although this wont help the public nor your student if they get hurt through gear failure or anything other than wrongful information from you.
The Altiora policy is the cheapest I have found and includes Professional indemnity as well as public liability. If you sell kites or equipment, you should also have product liability. Just a thought. Insurance has gone down significantly over the past 10 years with policies in 2001 costing around $7,000 p.a.
No, there is no difference if you sell as a package. Instruction is instruction. Trying to find a loop hole will land you in trouble in the event of an accident. See Product Liability as above if you sell gear.
Insurance is a necessary evil and unfortunately, it will be a significant cost if you never need it, but if you should ever need it .........
you'll be finished without it.
Don't skimp on this vital piece of your business. Do your homework and check the fine print of the cheapest policies.
Cheers,
KH
